Serena Williams got off to a strong start in her first tournament in six months, by dominating second seed Anastasia Myskina 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. In her first match in six months, the American Williams pounded her way past the Russian on Tuesday.
The hardcourt matchup of grand slam winners was no contest. Williams showed virtually no rust, scoring service breaks in each set to make quick work of Myskina, the 2004 French Open champion.
A seven-time grand slam champion, the 24-year-old Williams took the court for the first time since the Australian Open in January due to a left knee injury. She missed the entire claycourt and grasscourt seasons, including the French Open and Wimbledon.
The prolonged inactivity dropped Williams - once the top women's player in the world - from 11th to 140th in the rankings. Williams is trying to develop a rhythm leading up to the US Open, which she has won twice.
FIRST ROUND: Serena Williams (USA) bt Anastasia Myskina (RUS x2) 6-2, 6-2; Jelena Jankovic (SEM x5) bt Olga Savchuk (UKR) 6-3, 6-2; Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) bt Carly Gullickson (USA) 6-1, 6-1; Katarina Srebotnik (SLO x4) bt Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3); Marion Bartoli (FRA x6) bt Chan Chin-Wei (TPE) 6-2, 6-3; Abigail Spears (USA) bt Alexa Glatch (USA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4; Yuan Meng (CHN) bt Mariana Diaz-Oliva (ARG) 6-3, 7-5; Gisela Dulko (ARG x8) bt Marta Domachowska (POL) 7-5, 6-3; Sania Mirza (IND x9) bt Alexandra Stevenson (USA) 6-1, 2-0, retired Varvara Lepchenko (UZB) bt Natalie Grandin (RSA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.